Leah, thank you for your honesty and continuing to engage with all the difficult questions rather than quitting. I agree that so many of us are too quick to close the doors. I am a Zionist (i.e. I believe that Jews should be able to seek self-determination in our ancestral homeland) AND I support the two-state solution and believe that Palestinians need a state of their own. That can only be achieved by direct negotiations. I want us all to get to a place where that's possible. Appreciate you so much.
I think - and feel - that this type of commentary is heartfelt, personal and helpful in moving the dialogue about this horrible situation along. Hopefully if the dialogue is able to recognize that all sides bear some responsibility and need to accept some level of accountability, progress toward resolving the situation can be achieved. So thank you Leah, for your bravery and your ability to articulate what others are thinking and feeling.
You are smart and brave, Leah. Thank you for your honesty. Because you write about Jewish food, you can’t dodge what’s going on in Gaza and Israel. But laying it all out like you have today makes you relatable and sound. I appreciate your stepping out of your comfort zone to say something.
Appreicate you and your words. They capture so much of what many of us feel right now. I am sorry that you feel you have to have answers and to commentate. Because this is exhausting and not everyone feels comfortable with the performance of grief on social platforms. You are doing everything just right Leah.
I really appreciate you writing this and relate to so much of it. My substack isn’t about Jewish culture, but nonetheless, as a Jewish person, I feel like I should talk about it in my newsletter and yet every time I try (bar something I wrote on 12 October), I can’t work out if I’m saying it ‘right’, given how emotive this all is. At the same time, not writing about it on my substack means I am struggling to write much else because the thoughts at the forefront of my emotional self are dominated by the awful scenes in Gaza and the (shifting) perception of Jews globally (I’m based in the UK). However, you have reminded me that even if someone doesn’t like what you say, we must find the ways to speak our truth. So thank you.
I think it’s impossible to have the “right” words at a time like this. At the same time, sharing any thought or opinion can feel/be very vulnerable- and sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves is to not put ourselves out there. As a publicly Jewish person, I’m sure that this line is so razor thin for you.
I don’t know if it’s any small consolation, but I’ve only ever read you to be someone who obviously cares about life- Jewish, Palestinian, or otherwise. And you’ve kept a very level head regarding your public platforms, the things you’ve said, and portraying yourself as, rightly, horrified by the entire situation. But, people will see what they want to see and react emotionally when people they’ve created a parasocial relationship with doesn’t perfectly reflect their own thoughts and feelings.
Based on (most) of these comments, the feedback you received is the outlier.
Leah; Sorry you lost a couple of subscribers. This is your corner, and you get to speak your truth. To ignore it while you’re writing about Jewish cultural traditions and food, would be, I think, sort of tone deaf. Some may not want to hear your opinions and may go. I’m sticking around for the food AND the conversations.
I’m a Zionist Jew and will happily continue to read your work. It’s all so complicated and difficult right now. There’s so much generational trauma being triggered for many of us. I will say that I have unsubscribed to people who have a very one-sided view that is rooted in hatred for Jewish people.
Thank you Leah. I was not brought up Jewish, but do have Jewish heritage. I feel as you do about the situation in Gaza. I am also disgusted that innocent lives (beginning with the massacre in Israel ) are ,sacrificed for power by Iran and Hamas, and also Netanyahu and his government, who were so involved with power plays to save their own skins, they ignored the warnings from ( mainly women, ) border guards, that Hamas was on the move.
History shows that things can be different. Arabs and Jews have lived peacefully and very productively together in the past, with great collaborative discoveries in science, mathematics, astronomy and
and ethics. We can return to this Golden Age if we insist this of our so called "leaders" , who appear mostly to think only of themselves.
Leah, thank you for tackling this hard topic with so much honesty and love and grace. Your leadership and love for all people is apparent in your work and in the way you live your life. Championing Jewish food and culture does not mean you align with every choice (good or bad) of a nation or people. That's unfair for anyone to have that kind of alignment pinned to their work, especially in such an impossible and heartbreaking situation. Sending you big love. Love to Palestine. Love to Isreal. Love and peace to all families and mothers and children everywhere.
Thank you for sharing this, Leah. Losing subscribers when one speaks up/out is inevitable, but I think the most frustrating responses are from those who say "stick to food, I don't come here for politics," as if the two aren't inextricably intertwined, historically and presently.
Thank you so much for sharing this and for articulating a perspective that is so hard to hold on to when we are continuously pressured to take ever-extreme stances.
Leah, thank you for your honesty and continuing to engage with all the difficult questions rather than quitting. I agree that so many of us are too quick to close the doors. I am a Zionist (i.e. I believe that Jews should be able to seek self-determination in our ancestral homeland) AND I support the two-state solution and believe that Palestinians need a state of their own. That can only be achieved by direct negotiations. I want us all to get to a place where that's possible. Appreciate you so much.
I think - and feel - that this type of commentary is heartfelt, personal and helpful in moving the dialogue about this horrible situation along. Hopefully if the dialogue is able to recognize that all sides bear some responsibility and need to accept some level of accountability, progress toward resolving the situation can be achieved. So thank you Leah, for your bravery and your ability to articulate what others are thinking and feeling.
You are smart and brave, Leah. Thank you for your honesty. Because you write about Jewish food, you can’t dodge what’s going on in Gaza and Israel. But laying it all out like you have today makes you relatable and sound. I appreciate your stepping out of your comfort zone to say something.
Appreicate you and your words. They capture so much of what many of us feel right now. I am sorry that you feel you have to have answers and to commentate. Because this is exhausting and not everyone feels comfortable with the performance of grief on social platforms. You are doing everything just right Leah.
This post caused me to subscribe. No more freeloading.
I really appreciate you writing this and relate to so much of it. My substack isn’t about Jewish culture, but nonetheless, as a Jewish person, I feel like I should talk about it in my newsletter and yet every time I try (bar something I wrote on 12 October), I can’t work out if I’m saying it ‘right’, given how emotive this all is. At the same time, not writing about it on my substack means I am struggling to write much else because the thoughts at the forefront of my emotional self are dominated by the awful scenes in Gaza and the (shifting) perception of Jews globally (I’m based in the UK). However, you have reminded me that even if someone doesn’t like what you say, we must find the ways to speak our truth. So thank you.
♥️
I think it’s impossible to have the “right” words at a time like this. At the same time, sharing any thought or opinion can feel/be very vulnerable- and sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves is to not put ourselves out there. As a publicly Jewish person, I’m sure that this line is so razor thin for you.
I don’t know if it’s any small consolation, but I’ve only ever read you to be someone who obviously cares about life- Jewish, Palestinian, or otherwise. And you’ve kept a very level head regarding your public platforms, the things you’ve said, and portraying yourself as, rightly, horrified by the entire situation. But, people will see what they want to see and react emotionally when people they’ve created a parasocial relationship with doesn’t perfectly reflect their own thoughts and feelings.
Based on (most) of these comments, the feedback you received is the outlier.
This was amazing. Once again, you were able to put down on paper what I feel in my heart. Thank for being there.
Leah; Sorry you lost a couple of subscribers. This is your corner, and you get to speak your truth. To ignore it while you’re writing about Jewish cultural traditions and food, would be, I think, sort of tone deaf. Some may not want to hear your opinions and may go. I’m sticking around for the food AND the conversations.
I’m a Zionist Jew and will happily continue to read your work. It’s all so complicated and difficult right now. There’s so much generational trauma being triggered for many of us. I will say that I have unsubscribed to people who have a very one-sided view that is rooted in hatred for Jewish people.
Thank you Leah. I was not brought up Jewish, but do have Jewish heritage. I feel as you do about the situation in Gaza. I am also disgusted that innocent lives (beginning with the massacre in Israel ) are ,sacrificed for power by Iran and Hamas, and also Netanyahu and his government, who were so involved with power plays to save their own skins, they ignored the warnings from ( mainly women, ) border guards, that Hamas was on the move.
History shows that things can be different. Arabs and Jews have lived peacefully and very productively together in the past, with great collaborative discoveries in science, mathematics, astronomy and
and ethics. We can return to this Golden Age if we insist this of our so called "leaders" , who appear mostly to think only of themselves.
Thank you for your good intentions and your good sense.
Thank you for articulating so beautifully the many thoughts and feelings I've had swirling in my heart and head.
Leah, thank you for tackling this hard topic with so much honesty and love and grace. Your leadership and love for all people is apparent in your work and in the way you live your life. Championing Jewish food and culture does not mean you align with every choice (good or bad) of a nation or people. That's unfair for anyone to have that kind of alignment pinned to their work, especially in such an impossible and heartbreaking situation. Sending you big love. Love to Palestine. Love to Isreal. Love and peace to all families and mothers and children everywhere.
Thank you for sharing this, Leah. Losing subscribers when one speaks up/out is inevitable, but I think the most frustrating responses are from those who say "stick to food, I don't come here for politics," as if the two aren't inextricably intertwined, historically and presently.
Thank you so much for sharing this and for articulating a perspective that is so hard to hold on to when we are continuously pressured to take ever-extreme stances.